DES201-2018, Week03: Character
Character Design - Overview In Disorderly, visual character design is defined by a set of customisable options made available to the player prior to actual gameplay, likely through a character customisation menu dialogue. However, as this is a multiplayer-centered experience, narrative is delivered through encouraged prompts, enacted by the player through their mission designs. (see Mark Sinclair's work on mission design) However, there remain some fixed characters, in which narrative backstory is more deliberate, and a focus around it is made possible through lore, dialogue and general character design principles. Below are a series of characters that a player can assume the role of, and influence the main over-arching strategic level gameplay objectives in Disorderly... Character: The Director Character Breakdown * Physical Legend (Assumed Identity) ** Middle-aged (Experienced) ** Well-dressed, possibly sinister ** Gender Reflects Avatar Gender (chosen by player) ** Location: Sits within Camera Room ** Character Abilities *** Can Select Viewing Cameras *** Can Select Rooms to Listen-in-On *** Can Upgrade Facility with Tools *** Can Order Orderlies Around ** Enforces 'deontology', whereby 'ends justify means' mentality is central. * Character Archetype **Anti-hero/Villain ***is a Rule-Enforcer, often assuming that patients are exclusively insane, even criminally so. Will often overlook those that aren't, or even considered mentally stable and healthy (but wrongfully confined), a fact that isn't lost on the patients. This is due to an overbearing need for higher security throughout. ***has little tolerance for disobedience, not unlike 'The Administrator' from Team Fortress 2's narrative voice actress (see here), and is consistently required to manage an emerging crisis that is within the hospital itself. This is visualised through multiple cameras, and a sense of growing trust issues. * Gameplay Role **Assigned Randomly to a Player ***Sits in a 'Control Room' and Observes/Listens via Cameras and Audio (can only zoom in on one camera at a time full-screen, and has to consistently manage this limitation). Provides a tunneled vision and encourages trust issues, as player may not leave the office they are assigned to at all: ****Main Objective: Don't Let Players Leave/Die/Kill others ****Sub-Objectives: Follow Assigned Gamemode Objectives ****Main Capability *****Direct Gameplay (calling events) ****** Breakfast ****** Medication Time ****** Recreational Time ****** Lunch ****** Medication Time ****** Recreational Time ****** Dinner ****** Recreational Time ****** Sleep ***** Preventing Deviation from Above ***** Preventing their 'Nemesis' from Escape (discussed later) * Character Relationships ** Orderlies; these are their primary staff members, and are the 'extensions' of the Director themself. They are played commonly by players, and don different equipment based on the current task. Some can be assigned to janitorial or healthcare tasks, and wear the appropriate guise; while others are posted as the security. These aren't fixed, and can be swapped in the Security Office as ordered by the Director, also. *** Relationship: Neutral-Positive, the Director needs them, but can distrust them. Purely Symbiotic. ** Patients; looked upon like cattle, or burdensome, has come to view the Patients as entirely material, and in many cases, overlooks their individual wellbeing for the greater good of 'civil security' by imposing overly secure systems that infer their hazardous nature. Their treatment is always second to usual confinement... *** Relationship: Neutral-Negative, the Director has to confine/control their behaviour. Always distrusts. ** Vlad; a patient confined in solitary, viewed as highly dangerous and guarded with highest priority. See's the patient as being both dangerous, and motivated; and will often assign orderlies to check up on them with a sense of heightened attention. Due to Vlad's consistent escape attempts, the Director has installed barrier plates in the ventilation ducts, that seal shut if they suspect that anyone has left their solitary confinement... *** Relationship: Negative, the Director see's Vlad as entirely out to get them, and won't risk an escape. * General Background ** The Director is remniscent of other deontology-based characters, even corrupted ones such as the Warden from the Shawshank Redemption; where evil is a relative view. Carries a demeanour that shows disgusted or loathsome emotions toward the Orderlies and the Patients. However, a sense of respect, a fear is shown for Vlad, who the Director views as both a potent enemy of the state, and to them personally as the captor. Will often spout American patriotic nonsense during victory calls, or commanding the other players around. Understands revolution to be toxic, and a discourse to the general safety of the state, and to the hospital... * Individual Motivations ** Enforce all Rules ** Distrust Everyone ** Confine Patients ** Confine Vlad ** Prevent Subversion * Important Questions ** Q: Why do they do their job? / A: Because they believe in the American 'Dream' of Healthcare. Of the state. ** Q: What happens if Vlad escapes? / A: They must do everything they can to confine them, wrangle them. ** Q: Can The Director ever leave...? / A: Only in Emergencies can The Director get up from their chair view. ** Q: Does The Director have any individual Gamemode Objectives/Rulesets? / A: Yes, here are some... *** Perfect Run: Ensure no Escapees/Incidents (crisis longer than 5 minutes) occur throughout game. *** Under Budget: Keep Upgrades to Minimum, while Successfully Completing the Game's objective. *** The Enforcer: Keep Lockdown in Effect when the facility power goes out, using Orderlies as guards. *** et cetera. ** Note: A Gamemode's Timer can be set by the host, and can be challenging or as easy as they prefer. Character: Vlad Character Breakdown * Physical Legend (Assumed Identity) ** Middle-aged (Experienced) ** Commando'esque, in a Patient's Gown ** Gender Reflects Avatar Gender (chosen by player) ** Location: Confined to Solitary Confinement (with external vent ducts, hard to spot if open) ** Character Abilities *** Can Temporarily leave the Cell (via vent ducts) *** Can Travel throughout Vent Ducts to other Patient's rooms *** Can Trade items for the Patient's, who carry each other's needed items *** Can Incite Revolution, carry messages to other players, organise chaos *** Can Attempt to Escape, via the Ducts-Patient's rooms, or other means *** Can Incur High Damage and Survive *** Can Jump, Crawl, very Agile *** Can Kill All Other Players Easily (maybe not the best option?) ** Subverts 'deontology', whereby 'institute revolt' is their primary end-game. Oh, and to kill the Director. * Character Archetype **Anti-hero/Villain ***is a Rule-Breaker, questions everything about the institute, and its rule. Will do everything in their power to subvert the overall hierarchy, even going so far as to try and influence the guards, also. ***is an assumed villain, with archetype 'russian bad-guy/gal' voice over quips, barks and dialogue. * Gameplay Role **Assigned Randomly to a Player ***Is Confined to 'Solitary Confinement Room Alpha' and is brought food, water separately to the other patients. Is given a limited view from their door-window, and has to gain insight from other patients in the facility, while trying to escape, or more importantly incite escape from others so they can fulfill the: ****Main Objective: Escape, kill the Director ****Sub-Objectives: Incite Total Chaos ****Main Capability *****Direct Gameplay (escape, agility) ****** via Vent Ducts ****** via Patient's Rooms ****** via Trading Goods ****** via Building 'Relationships' with Players for... ******* Own Purposes (revolution!) ******* Other Purpose (god knows what) ******* General Mayhem ***** Preventing Enforcement of Rulesets ***** Preventing their Continued Confinement * Character Relationships ** Orderlies; viewed as unfortunate zombies, caught up in the fascist, empirical whirl of 'patriotism' that has them spell-bound. Considers them risky business, and while they rely on them for food, water, hygiene, it would seem that Vlad distrusts their ability to do great harm to them, should they ever get ordered to do so. *** Relationship: Neutral-Negative, Vlad needs them, but knows they are only human. Persuade them...? ** Patients; potential comrades, these unwitting lunatics and victims are just 'prisoners of war', and Vlad sees them as soldiers in their fight against confinement. Easily swayed by the lure of anything to break routine, a good patient is one who talks, informs, trades, and when the time comes, helps distract the guards, as well. *** Relationship: Neutral-Positive, while confined, they have more autonomy than Vlad, and that's useful. ** The Director; assumes they're a plant sent by 'The Agency', to keep tabs on Vlad, and to keep the agenda of American expansionism intact. Willfully resents/refuses treatment, which The Director attempts to give through Orderlies, and as such believes they're out to get Vlad. Will in most likely cases, try to kill them... *** Relationship: Negative, Vlad see's The Director as 'out to get them' and will resist them at all costs. * General Background ** Vlad is a russo-slavic sounding individual, entirely opposed to 'The Director', is confined in a solitary cell. Is considered mentally insane by the state, however might actually be a captured Soviet Spy being held in a mental institute so as to prevent their return with sensitive information. Considered highly dangerous, and is unable to leave their cell directly, and instead when not being observed (they can tell when they are), is able to climb into vent ducts that lead to the other patient's rooms, but cannot usually directly enter them. This is often to incite 'revolution', and to pass vital items from room to room, when players are locked up... * Individual Motivations ** Break all Rules ** Distrust Everyone ** Release Patients ** Kill the Director ** Cause Subversion * Important Questions ** Q: Why do they do their job? / A: Because they're a mad soviet spy, or perhaps a mentally ill American... ** Q: What happens if you escape? / A: The player will have to maintain their hidden status, until exfiltration. ** Q: Can Vlad help others escape? Should they? / A: That's up to Vlad, but usually yes. It helps their cause. ** Q: What challenges will Vlad encounter when trying to escape? *** The Vent Ducts are sealable, and thus can suffocate them. (they also contain upgrades: gas..) *** The Orderlies can equip weapons, and can pose a direct threat. *** Vlad can shut the facility power down, but cameras/orderlies may have night vision... *** Vlad has an increased 'craze-o-meter' state, from the repeated medications, and is prone to fits. ** Note: All players can essentially combat, but Vlad has incredibly strong abilities to hurt other players. Faction Design (Summary) The factions within Disorderly represent Thought Experiments 'in-practice', and as such have direct gameplay value. It is broken down into factions, which they themselves have motivations and goals that make their objectives unique. All factions are described below, with some level of placement in a potential gameworld, for consideration in working title: TOTAL PLAYER POOL: 24 Players, Ratio (1 Director:1 Vlad: 11 Players: 11 Orderlies), can be skewed for more on the Orderly team, or more on Patient's team, this part is chosen during a gamemode team select menu, while The Director and Vlad are randomly chosen from the pool, after everyone has chosen. This is to enforce 'the Veil of Ignorance' rule. The Director see above The Orderlies Summary: report directly to The Director, of which doesn't trust anyone as it stands, but warrants relying on the orderly staff to maintain order. Some basic information about The Orderlies and how they are placed into the gamemode itself: * Spawned in 'Semi-Procedural' world, in a Security Office next to The Director. The overall map is procedurally set and the layout is never the same, to maintain some sense of curiosity and general map learning, in-game. * Follow General Order Routine ** Breakfast ** Medication Time ** Recreational Time ** Lunch ** Medication Time ** Recreational Time ** Dinner ** Recreational Time ** Sleep * Can assume Several Roles (by accessing their personal locker within the game) ** Janitor, equipped with a mop and bucket. Have to clean up the facility. ** Counsellor, equipped with a notepad and pen. Will conduct therapies. ** Cook, equipped with a spatula and chefs hat. Provides food and water. ** Nurse, equipped with a syringe and pill bottle. Medicates 'needy' patients. ** Coach, equipped with a whistle and baseball bat. Conducts sports events. ** Guard, equipped with a tazer and night stick. Guards the facility throughout. * Player Pool Size: min. 4 / max 18. The Patients Summary: are assigned starting 'objectives' that are not indicated to other players. These are to recommend actions and behaviours that they must carry out passively within the game. They also have primary objectives, to follow too. * Spawned in 'Semi-Procedural' world, in a Patient's Wing. The initial state is that their room is locked, and can barely talk through the walls to other patients. They always begin their gamemode in this state, no matter what. * Can behave in various ways (based on primary 'archetype' assigned) ** Not Crazy, aka act innocent and try to get out. I mean, why not? ** Collect Spoons, trinkets, you name it; you're a hoarder. ** Pharma-fan, you really like medication. I mean, really like it! ** Talk-to-Yourself, who else would listen, anyway? ** The Bully. You're the boss now. ** Defiance is Godliness, everything you do must be your own will. ** Conspiracy Theorist! Aliens, Government, you name it, it's real! ** et cetera * Primary Goal: can vary (but escape is the winning, absolute goal) * Secondary(s): events emergent from gameplay, in real-time multiplayer. Have fun! * Player Pool Size: min. 4 / max 18. Vlad see above